Optical connectors are optical devices which are used in all kinds of optical communication systems, optically applied equipments, etc., and are indispensable for the connection between optical fibers, and an optical fiber and a light emitting or receiving device.
One type of a conventional optical connector comprises a ferrule of a high mechanical strength such as ceramic for fixing an optical fiber exposed from a jacketed optical fiber on the center axis thereof, and a terminal metal member for fixing one end of the ferrule and supporting the jacketed optical fiber having the optical fiber exposed therefrom to be fixed by the ferrule.
Another type of a conventional optical connector comprises a glass capillary for fixing an optical fiber exposed from a jacketed optical fiber on the center axis thereof, and a terminal metal member for covering the whole outer surface of the glass capillary and supporting the jacketed optical fiber having the optical fiber exposed therefrom to be fixed by the capillary.
The ferrule or the glass capillary is polished on its outer surface to provide a predetermined outer surface precision by use of a whetstone rotated by a grinder, so that a precisely defined center axis is obtained.
In these optical connectors, an optical fiber is connected to an optical fiber or an optical device such as a photodiode, a laser device, etc. at mechanically and optically stable state.
However, the former optical connector has a disadvantage in that a material of the ferrule is limited to a high strength material such as ceramic.
Further, the latter optical connector has a disadvantage in that a manufacturing process is complicated and the manufacturing cost is high, because the glass capillary is totally covered by the terminal metal member.
Still further, the former and latter conventional optical connectors have a common disadvantage in that the productivity is low, because the center axis must be defined with high precision by the outer surface polishing.